This invention relates to an endotracheal tube holder and more particularly to a new and improved endotracheal tube holder suitable for use to assist the healthcare provider in holding and securing an endotracheal tube once intubation has been performed.
More particularly endotracheal tubes are commonly used by healthcare providers for providing an unobstructed passageway to facilitate breathing. The endotracheal tube is inserted into the patient's mouth and trachea in a process called intubation. It is very important that the endotrachial tube be securely maintained in this position during the entire period of use. Additionally, it may be necessary to insert endotracheal tubes under emergency conditions where time is of the essence.
Various devices exist which are designed to secure an endotracheal tube. U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,811 shows a disposable clamp for holding an endotracheal tube or the like that comprises a pair of superimposed wafer-like clamping members formed with complementary cut-away portions to define an aperture for receiving the tube. One problem with this device is that time is wasted assembling the interlocking clamp members around the tube. Additionally, once assembled, the clamping members can be separated only by breaking one of the clamping members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,813 to Young shows an endotracheal tube holder comprising a pair of identical curved, plate-like hooking members and an interconnecting attachment band. Each of the hooking members has a dogleg opening for receiving and engaging the endotracheal tube when the hooking members are overlapped in position over the patient's mouth. Following intubation, the first hooking element is placed over the patient's mouth with its dogleg opening engaging the endotracheal tube. Then, the attachment band is pulled around the patient's face and neck and the second hooking element is placed over the patient's mouth with its dogleg opening engaging the endotracheal tube. Finally, a VELCRO patch is secured to a mating Velcro patch on the uppermost hooking element. A disadvantage to this method is that any four step process can become laborious and time consuming under emergency conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,944 to Mischinski shows a holder for an endotracheal tube which is formed from a generally rigid flat bar having a lateral cut-out leaving a reduced flexible neck connecting the remaining bar portions together for relative swinging about an axis through the neck, the cut being configured to conformably receive and circumferentially clamp about a received tube. Additionally, one side edge of the bar being provided on respective bar portions with a releasably interengageable catch and a latch which automatically snap into interengagement upon relative swinging movement of the bar portions.
Additional references that may have some relevance are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,819,390 to Seager, 2,908,269 to Cheng, 3,302,968 to Bleiman et al., 4,313,437 to Martin, 4,331,144 to Wapner and 5,026,352 to Anderson.
It is therefore desirable to have an endotracheal tube holder that is generally uncomplicated to use and can be applied quickly and easily in emergency situations.